Jonny Primed For November Handicap Repeat Bid

Come On Jonny has been reported in excellent shape by his trainer Ralph Beckett as he bids to land the #50,000 totesport.com November Handicap (3:40pm), run this year at Windsor over an extended 11 furlongs on Saturday, November 4, for the second year running.

The four-year-old Desert King gelding, who has been restricted to just one outing so far this season following an injury, finishing 12th behind Peppertree Lane over 12 furlongs at Ascot last month, relished the heavy ground when landing the prize impressively at regular home Doncaster a year ago, coming home seven lengths clear of Akarem.

Beckett said this morning: 'Come On Jonny had a serious internal problem in the early part of the year, but he is over that now.

'I was delighted with his comeback run at Ascot - he led them to the two-furlong pole and then gradually faded, but he had been off for 11 months.

'He seems to be in really good nick and he is there to run his race. The track is different this year, and it remains to be seen whether it will suit him as well as Doncaster, although he won over an extended mile at Windsor as a two-year-old.'

Come On Jonny, who carried only 8st when successful last year under apprentice Nelson De Souza, will have to defy 9st 7lb this time for Seb Sanders, yet his handler is hoping that the likely testing ground will aid his chances of a repeat victory.

Beckett continued: 'If the ground stays on the soft side of good he´ll run well. He´s high enough in the handicap, that´s for sure, but he is in great shape. We´re going to Windsor in hope rather than confidence, although I wasn´t that confident last year either!

'Adrian Frost, his owner, already has four or five jumpers in training, and the idea is that Come On Jonny will go hurdling over the winter. He´s already schooled nicely, and I´m really looking forward to trying to win a few races with him.'

Come On Jonny´s 19 opponents in Saturday´s race include improving three-year-old Peppertree Lane, who has landed five races this term for the Mark Johnston stable.

Godolphin runs both Scriptwriter, who scored readily on his return over 10 furlongs at York on October 6, and Red Admiral, while the well-fancied Book Of Music, trained by Sir Michael Stoute, got his head in front for the first time since his debut when taking a 10-furlong handicap at Ascot last month by a neck from Great Plains.

Windsor´s action-packed eight-race card on Saturday, November 4, kicks off at 12:20pm with Division One of the EBF Maiden Stakes, run over six furlongs for two-year-olds.

Other highlights on an excellent afternoon´s racing include the Listed #28,000 EBF totesport Gillies Fillies´ Stakes (1:55pm) over 10 furlongs, which has attracted 14 runners, among them the Godolphin trio Taranto, Abhisheka and Lake Toya.

The Listed #28,000 Celebrated Artist Piran Strange Paints Stakes (2:30pm), run over an extended 11 furlongs, has attracted a strong field of nine, and sees the long-awaited return of Godolphin´s unbeaten Bull Run, who has been off the track since winning at Epsom by 15 lengths in April, 2004.

Listed action continues at 3:05pm with the #28,000 totescoop6 Wentworth Stakes, run over six furlongs, which features old favourite Quito, runner-up to Reverence in the Group One Betfred Sprint Cup at Haydock in September, and Richard Hannon´s 2005 totesport Ayr Gold Cup winner Presto Shinko.

A total of 20 runners will go to post for the totesport.com November Handicap after the maximum field number for Saturday´s meeting was increased by four.

David Mackinnon, Managing Director of Windsor Racecourse, explained the decision by stating that the safety factor at the course has been 20 for a number of years, yet due to Windsor purchasing a 16-bay starting stall unit last month, the maximum field had therefore been reduced to 16.

However, for Saturday´s meeting, Windsor will have the use of two sets of stalls, rented from Race Tech, allowing for the larger fields.